Generic Company Place Holder ImgBurn

Note: This review addresses v2.5 of the
software.

What's thin, light, powerful, sometimes clever, and always there
to handle your data burning needs? ImgBurn--easily the most
impressive free/donationware burning software I've run across. The
program handles a host of image types including ISO, NRG, PDI, UDI,
BIN/CUE, and CDI--obviating the need to buy several different
imaging programs--and will also create data CDs, DVDs, and get
this: Blu-ray data discs.

Though the up-front placement of advanced options and technical
jargon might make ImgBurn a little daunting for less tech-savvy
users, it's great for those who understand the process. The
interface feels a bit cramped, but overall it's easy to use once
you adapt to the close quarters.

It's not often that software makes me smile, as ImgBurn did when
it popped open a dialog informing me that the volume name I'd
entered wasn't unique. It wasn't the dialog itself that made me
smile, but the cleverly-employed progress bar that showed me how
many characters I had remaining for use in my volume name as I
typed.

What impressed me even more was that ImgBurn successfully
created a Blu-ray data disc from within a virtual machine while I
multi-tasked outside of the VM and just generally ignored it. It
was rock-solid in all my tests--which I ran on several
recorders--and very nimble at such tasks as gathering info about
drives and inserted discs. The software is also capable of creating
bootable discs, and it offers granular access to just about any
disc-burning option you can think of. On top of that, it will queue
multiple images for burning and output statistics gathered during
the burn process.

Although ImgBurn is free, the author gladly accepts donations
via PayPal. If you find the program suits your needs, as it does
mine, I highly suggest that you donate. Encouraging clever
programming is never a bad thing. My only complaint about ImgBurn
is about the Web site, which serves up a gauntlet of ads and
non-related download links en route to the correct link. Solution:
Download it here.

--Jon L. Jacobi

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